Carruth, accomplices sued

CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Former Carolina Panther Rae Carruth and three men convicted of conspiring to kill Carruth's girlfriend should be ordered to pay about $5.8 million in damages to her estate, a lawyer for the girlfriend's mother told a judge.

The request by attorney Billie Ellerbe came during a Monday hearing in Saundra Adams' wrongful death lawsuit against the men.

All four were found guilty in 2001 of conspiring in the Nov. 16, 1999, shooting of Cherica Adams, who was eight months pregnant with Carruth's child. She died about a month later; the baby survived but has cerebral palsy.

With Carruth, Van Brett Watkins and Michael Kennedy in prison and Stanley Abraham unemployed, the prospect of any payments is remote. But Saundra Adams said she pushed forward with her lawsuit for "justice and closure."

Cherica Adams, 24, was driving behind Carruth in Charlotte when she was shot four times.

Carruth was found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder, shooting into an occupied vehicle and using a gun to try to kill the baby Adams was carrying. He is serving a prison term of 18 years and 11 months.

Surgery for Brunell

Jaguars quarterback Mark Brunell had surgery Monday to alleviate swelling from his left elbow, and won't be able to return to practice for at least two weeks.

Coach Jack Del Rio said the gash Brunell got on his throwing elbow when he slid on the artificial turf in Indianapolis on Sept. 21 resulted in a swollen bursa sac that got worse over time.

Del Rio said he "didn't believe" Brunell threw in practice at all last week. He was listed as the emergency quarterback Sunday.

QB Daunte Culpepper will return to the starting lineup this weekend. He missed two games after breaking three small bones, and partially fracturing a fourth, in his lower back. "He's good to go," coach Mike Tice said Monday. "He jumps right back in. He's the No. 1. Gus [Frerotte] is back to being No. 2."

LB Ian Gold will miss the rest of the season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee Sunday. "Any time you lose not only a great player, but a great leader and a great person, it's always tough," coach Mike Shanahan said.